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Amber's Diary - Co-writer/Director

10th December
  On location

We're (producers Jelena, Rob, Kim and myself) sitting at the National Film Theatre drinking our second cup of coffee product for the day - there will be more, I'm sure. (Coffee and tea seem to be the only things that keep me functioning these days.) Actually, the coffee drinking is just an excuse to go inside, where it's warm.

We started the day at Madame Tussauds, playing "get to know you" with the wax figure of Lord Admiral Nelson. I hate to say it, but the missing eye and arm are a bit of a fright. I loved Madame Tussauds, though. It's an amazing place, if a bit creepy. The glass eyes follow wherever you go.

It was a funny morning. I completely forgot to bring any make-up to England - thinking I was going to get to hide from the camera - but somehow I got roped into doing some onscreen commentary for the Ghosts of Albion web site.

So Jelena and I went to Boots and I bought a bunch of stuff to prettify myself (not that the make-up helped the "I just woke-up" look I had engendered!) I ended up in the bathroom of Madame Tussauds, poking myself with a mascara wand. Then the lovely Diane started us on our guided tour and my date with Nelson!

After the wax museum, we trekked over to the church of St. Mary-le-Strand. One word. Beautiful. The volunteer women from the Order of The Wrens were so kind to us. They gave us a bit of history about the church and showed us all the neat aspects of its architecture. I had to do a little bit of commentary while we were there.

Poor Rob had created a cool script for me to read from, but I kept mucking it up. I'm afraid that my memory seems to be going at the advanced age of 26!

We then hightailed it over to the National Theatre, braving the wind and cold to get a bit more commentary taped for the site - later, we'll be hitting Waterloo Station and a couple of other points of interest.

13th December
  The best cast in history

Today was wonderful. Today was our first rehearsal. I have to say that we truly have the best cast in the history of the BBC. How we lucked and bribed our way into getting them is another story, but suffice it to say, they rock!

Chris and I could not have asked for a better production team as well. It's like the food brigade around here. We had a whole lunch, breakfast, tea thing going for the duration of the rehearsal. Poor Jelena didn't know whether she was a waitress or a producer - but she does both jobs admirably, especially the producing bit!

I think I scared her because she ended up coming into the room right as I was making everyone go around the room and tell us their name and character/job (so very kindergarten). Poor Jelena had to spout her name and job on the spot!

It was so amazing to hear the script out loud. Chris and I had been toying with it for so long that I think we were both sick of it. After that read through, however, we were both super jazzed and excited. All the jokes played [as they should], and Anthony Daniels was a sweetie. He made sure we were 100 per cent historically accurate and even contributed a few new zingers to Nelson's dialogue.

I have to add in a bit here about how cool it is to work with Chris. He and I really do have the exact same sensibility. I caught us both changing a line during the first read through and then adding it right back during the second! It was kinda funny that we both decided the line didn't work after all, then rethought that decision completely. Hehehe...

It was really neat to watch Jasmine and Rory immediately start a brother/sister relationship. He picked on her and she harassed him right back. And then watching Elliot and Roy as they toyed with all the different baddies - it was amazing. Roy is such a master!

All I have to say about Paterson (who was the first and only choice to play Nigel) is that I could listen to him read the phone book into perpetuity. What a voice... So sexy and charming!

Chris and I both have a crush on Emma. Firstly, she's a wonderful person and an amazing actress. Then there's that little old fact that she completely saved our butts at the last minute. The person we had first approached backed out and we were totally with a Bodecia - yipes. Then our brilliant script editor, Martha, came up with the idea of asking Emma (they had worked together before) and luckily she agreed to come and play with us!

Our producer, Jelena, came up with the idea of Joe for Byron. I wasn't aware of his work, but they gave me a copy of The Crow Road (love Iain Banks) to watch and I must say I see why everyone has crush on him - plus, that lovely Scottish accent! Joe, I really think, has one of the hardest jobs to do in Ghosts of Albion.

Byron has to be, on one hand, flip with his little jibes, but he also has to say the bits of Byronic poetry we incorporated (Martha Stewart word!) into Byron's dialogue without sounding trite. Tough, but I know he can pull it off.

Anthony Daniels - consummate professional, major league talent and... incorrigible sweetheart. Plus, the man knows his history. We were supreme-o lucky that we got him, period.

I have to say that Leslie [Phillips] is a total charmer. I felt so bad that poor Ludlow comes to such a grisly end. Anyhow, Leslie has such a way with words. He infuses them with such meaning and he was great when it came to punching up the jokes. He cracked me up with his confirmation of "being friendly with all the magical creatures". Makes me laugh just thinking of it.

I'm totally doing the rundown, but I just have to do it. Everyone in the cast is too unique and precious not to get a blurb.

Elliot had worked with our production team before. When we realized we needed some more voice power, he was the first one who came to everyone's mind. I just hope that the BBC realizes what a gem they have in Elliot and that he gets to work as much as he deserves. Roy, Roy, Roy... The man has a hit single. Such a rock star!

Everyone in our production office was super excited to meet him - the man comes with a Doctor Who pedigree for goodness sake! So you can imagine how everyone on the Cult team flipped when he came onboard. He's such a sweetie, too. Turns out his grandkids watch Buffy! Isn't that cool?

And last, but definitely not least, are Jasmine and Rory. I know that some of you out there in cyber-land may not know them, but believe me, you will. They both have talent coming out their ears. Seriously, I have been doing this acting thing for ten years (maybe even 11 now, boy, I'm getting old!) and I truly believe that I've picked up a nose for talent. And my nose is twitching at this rehearsal!

I know this entry is mucho long, but this has been the best day of my entire trip. I just hope that the recording goes as well as the rehearsal. Fingers crossed!

16th December
  Tending to babble

Spent the weekend obsessing over whether or not I was going to fail miserably at directing Ghosts. Seriously, was absolutely sure I was gonna forget my pants or be three hours late or be utterly unable to remember my own name.

My poor mother and sister and our adopted neighbour, Chris - he has the apartment next to ours which makes for him getting to hear any family in-fighting - had to deal with all my whining. Okay, I wasn't being too bad of a whiner, I was just mortally terrified and tended to babble.

So, the day started and I knew my name and had my pants on. So far, so good. Yay. I have to preface this entry by saying that what we - the production crew, the cast and Chris and I - were trying to accomplish was very, very difficult. We were trying to record a complete radio show (one hour's worth) in two days.

I know that doesn't sound too bad, but believe me, if I wasn't surrounded by super talented people, well, there was no way I was going to make it. Luckily, everyone was in top form. We had a lot to cover and no one minded the fast pace I was trying to set.

The very first scene we recorded was the Tamara/Ludlow/William stuff. I was soooooo nervous. I mean, there was Leslie Philips just sitting there waiting for me to say "Go". It was crazy! Well, the man knows how to lighten any tense moment.

During our first pass at the scene, he said that he had "staved the raper off for another day". Not the reaper, but the raper. He instantly made me feel comfortable. He was such a cutie. After that, everyone was giggling and having a good time. And in what seemed an eye blink, we had finished Leslie's scenes and we were saying good-bye to him. He was such a trooper and such a talent.

Recording is so much fun. We have an excellent recording crew. Roger and Rebecca, Marc and Keith are fantastic. All the amazing sound effects and the fantastic recording sound is down to them. I believe that we were lucky enough to get the best team in town.

At first, I was adamant that we get everything piece-meal, but Roger knew what he was doing and totally saved my butt. He made sure to incorporate as much as he could into the mix so that we weren't slugging it out later in the edit. What's so cool about this business is that it's collaborative. Even when you think you know everything, you find out as you go that you really don't. Lucky for me, our team - that's absolutely everyone are all good at their individual jobs so I don't have to worry!

17th December
  Pink Elephants

Last night. Was very tipsy! Had a bottle and a half of this very interesting beer called Delirium Tremens. All I have to say is that it had pink elephants on the bottle. Alex had to keep me propped up on the seat. The pub was so crazy - felt like it was built for hobbits or something.

Today went even better than yesterday and we finished everything ahead of schedule. I have never been so relieved in my entire life. I was so paranoid that we weren't going to get it all in time, but we did! I kept looking over at Martha. She and I had both been super worried, but as the day drew closer to an end and things weren't falling apart, even the two of us worry-warts had to smile.

One of the last things we recorded was the opening - basically Jasmine's voice-over giving us the background of Albion and all the legacy stuff. After all the screaming and running around Jasmine did, I couldn't believe that she was able to turn around and give such a chilling reading. It gave me goosebumps. She gave me exactly what I wanted.

I had loved the opening of The Lord of the Rings so much - Cate Blanchett is a goddess - that I really wanted that feel for Ghosts. Jasmine nailed it.

Chris was an angel during the recording. He answered questions for the actors, critiqued the stuff we rehearsed and was basically an invaluable part of the process. My sister kept taking pictures of him when he wasn't looking. It was pretty funny.

All in all, the going was tough, but we - as a team - pulled it off. Isn't it amazing to think that we all came from different countries, different ways of working and thinking, even, and we were able to create something beautiful together.